"Yes, that does seem a bit much to me. It appears to be an offering or an appeasement of some kind. To what, I have no idea."

"These quiet townies have more going on here than they are letting on, I think. This whole place seems a bit off to me. I don't know if it has something to do with what is going on with the critters and the foul magic out in the wild, but it certainly bears some thought. If only someone around here would level with us and be upfront about their fears, we might learn a little more about this strange behavior."

"Lets keep looking around a little as we all make our way to the secret entrance in the cave complex. We might find the answers we seek in that dreadful place."

Within the village you can tell there are people within the buildings from the light seeping out from the cracks in shuttered windows and an occasional thump or quiet clatter of crockery. But it seems quieter than one would expect for people going about their evening routines inside. It is as if people seem to be trying to be quiet which gives the area an air of apprehension.

You are outside but still within the palisade wall of the village. Where do you want to go from here? Hennoth has stayed behind in the shack and is minding the hounds as asked.

Manred suggests, "What do you say we take a stroll up and down the village and see if there are any other cottages boarded up and abandoned? There might be more than one hidden passage around here. If whatever's creeping around gets in through secret tunnels like the one we found earlier, I'll bet those tunnels are in the houses of the people who have disappeared. Makes sense to me."

Lest Graela be too impressed with Salt Peter, he is now trying to to work a thumb up one nostril, his concentration so focused on whatever he hopes to find there that he pokes himself in the eye with an index finger.

The group of four creeps about the village, looking for unoccupied buildings. Judging by light emanating from within and faint noises to discount the buildings lived in, the group finds many that are dark.

Using the map in the spoiler below, use the following key:red= occupied...except for the tiny red shack (directly against a green shack) against the NW palisade wall. This red shack holds the tunnel you used earlier.green=dark/silentyellow=dark/silent...except for the largest building (6, top, center) which is the "great house" you were already in earlier. The great house has light from within. And the yellow shack just north of the west gate is where Hennoth and the hounds wait.

If I'm looking at the map correctly, there are two yellow bldgs and a green bldg in the NW quadrant which are dark and silent. I say we scope those out first, since we are already on that side of town. Thoughts?

Manred is fine with that idea. When they reach the first place he will listen at and then attempt to push open the front door. "If these doors are boarded up, maybe we can find a window with loose shutters."

The large green building in the NW quadrant is your first stop. The windows are shuttered. The sole door to the large (for this village) edifice is facing south, toward the path through town. Listening at its planks, there is only silence within. While the door is latched, the elf finds it unlocked and the door swings open into darkness.

Graela peers inside, spear ready, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. If she sees or senses nothing, she will enter with caution, moving swiftly to her left, placing her back against the wall for defensive purposes.

Manred peers into the dark room with his elven eyes and follows Graela in, taking up a similar position to the right of the door. "It won't do much good sneaking around at night if we have torches blazing away. Magic candles sound like the best option."

The magic candle was bonded with Salt Peter so only his eyes benefit from its illumination. I'll share with everyone what is revealed to him- just remember that it would normally be shared by him with foolish statements and accompanied by one finger firmly up his nose.

Though the building is good-sized for this village, the halfling can see the full room with the candle's light. On the right wall, there is an empty fireplace. No faint smell of charcoal suggests the hearth has not been used for a while. Before it is a table and two chairs and shelves are on either side of the stone hearth. The left side of the room was probably where the occupants' beds were originally. From the few loose timbers, it appears as if they were dismantled and mostly taken away. The entire cabin seems desolate and deathly silent, the only sounds: a few small pats as the candle's wax drips to the wooden floor planks.

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